Kates post on rats gets over 40 comments, James gets a comment within 3 hours on his post about parsnips, and Adam gets hundreds on his two with the Monty Don debate, but your post Pippa, which is about plants, gets ignored. Well don't despair, I found your post very interesting and have inspected all my cyclamen for grey mould, (none found) and would not purchase a new one without giving it the third degree. Thanks for the advice, have a great Christmas and a successful New Year.

Don't take offence Pipa, as imformative as ever. As HeavyHorse I found your article very interesting indeed.
Going off topic...I'd love to see you return to our screens on GW, but that's another story :-)

I'm afraid the grey mould issue is for the cossetted cyclamen cultivars (there's a poem there) and people who buy in bulk for mass effect. I love the hardy species cyclamen and have no troubles with them except perhaps when they seed overenthusiastically into paths. People who grow lots of hellebores also hae trouble with black death if they do not spread them out a bit. Makes you think nature knows best, Pippa, and large greenhouses with thousands of plants in them are not what cyclamen plants like. Perhaps we should be prepared to pay a bit more for healthier stock. but I do hope your warning has made purchasers more wary as it is dreadful to watch such a lovely plant as a cyclamen die. And the species are so endangered in the wild more people need to be encouraged to grow them. I too would like to see you back on TV (Perhaps an artistic veg. garden?). Happy Christmas.

I have only saved one outside cycamen from a box of 6 from last year and it refuses to flower again.Several years ago I kept an indoor one re-flowering each year for 3 years until it set seed and then gave up.

Please can someone tell me how to 'over winter' an indoor cyclamen plant. I'm sure my Mum, who adored these plants, put the plant (after flowering) in the garden on it's side. Sadly she is no longer with us to advise me.
Hooray I have a ticket for the Chelsea FS this year.
Val Petrie

After a particularly bad start to this new year, it has really cheered me up to read so many really lovely comments on my posts and on me! Spellin duz not matter...even if it is my name!!Thank you all. Now artistic veg growing is a great idea!!
Sadly even those of us who can often grow the medium sized semi-hardy cyclamen outside have had problems this year - the extreme cold and then slushy wet deteriorating snow all over those crowns, I just pick off all dead or deteriorating foliage, right back tot he corm, try to clear away any accumulated debris eg fallen late oak foliage, and cross my fingers. It usually works!

Having read the December 2010 issue of Gardeners' World Magazine, I decided to have a go at Joe Swift's Evergreen Border. However I have discovered that you need a male and a female Viburnum davidii to get the lovely blue berries. I have a smallish space, so I don't think I have room for both in that border. Would it work to have the female in the front garden, and the male in the back garden?

I rescued an unusual (to me anyway) plant from my late brother-in-law`s garden. I wonder whether anyone can help me identify it.It is a multi-headed, white, primula vulgaris. Not at all like the run-of-the-mill Polyanthus for it has a very delicate main stem and the heads coming from it have long, thin stems also. It is a real treasure. I would love to be able to name it. Thank you.